Ground Fury
by Sakimu
Summary: Toothless grows back his fin. Hiccup is his mate. Takes place a few years after the movie. Based loosely on Call Of the Night. Possible ToothlessxHiccup
1. Setback

:We're ready, let's do this! Hiccup, I'm gonna fly with a full tail!: Toothless bounded through the tall grass, a bounding mass of restless motion.

:You have to actually hold still for me to get on. I'm not chasing you around again:Hiccup scoffed, watching the dragon circle the clearing in leaps. Toothless reached the opposite end of the field, turned on hind legs and sprinted towards the small human. Before Hiccup could react, the dragon threw his head between the boy's legs and catapulted him onto his back.

Hiccup barely had time to find purchase before he felt the creature below him tense, then push off the ground.

One wing beat. You can do this. Two. Push into the air. Three. They were gaining height, but listing slightly left. Push harder. Overcome it. Lean right. Push down to the right!

The list became a bank, a quick half turn bringing them all to quickly, with a despairing screech and yell, into the side off a tree branch. Shattered bark crunches against scales. A blinding flurry of dying leaves as we are grounded once more.

* * *

><p>Hiccup gazed over the scales. They looked the same as before, the same hue as the rest of his mate, a sleek polish of midnight black, a faint hint of deep blue underlying. :How does it feel?: he asked, moving a palm over the tailfin :Is it heavier? It seems larger than before:.<p>

Toothless gave his tail a flick, then swung it through the crisp fall air slowly, feeling the weight of an imperfect heal burden the appendage.

:Like I said, It feels off…I shouldn't have been so hasty, throwing us into the air without knowing.

:I'm not hurt, Toothless:

:You're bleeding! Don't sit there and give me that when there's clearly a huge-:

:I took plenty of falls when we first flew and got up fine, now is no different, you overprotective sack of scales:

A tentative silence seemed to drag for minutes.

Hiccup shifted, recollecting his thoughts.: We just have to work this through, find the solution like I did then:

He thought back to designing the mechanical fin, a lightweight, finely tuned instrument replicating an already working fin.

It had been a simple matter of seeing how the right fin worked and-

His thoughts were interrupted by a large, slitted tongue running along his back

"Toothless!" He shouted out, breaking the peaceful silence of the small clearing. The dragon crooned :I hurt you:

:I had to be there Tooth, I had to see. We fly together, always. A small scar I can live with:

:Let me heal you:

:I'm still not convinced dragon saliva heals:

:Nonsense. See this?: Sticking his tongue out :Works miracles:

Hiccup gave the out stuck tongue a peck. The dragon gave a small sigh.

He stood up and started pacing. :Your fin. It's off balance, right?:

:Riight:'

:So we match the weight on the other fin:

:It's too heavy.I can't fly tail heavy. There's a reason dragons don't regrow when severed:

:So why did you?:

A pause.

:If I had to guess, I'd say it has something to do with the scales growing on you. Our bond seems to uh, overdo our bodies natural healing processes:

:Yeah, or as natural a healing process as scales covering my scars can be considered:

:Let's get moving. I'll think better on my feet:

Hiccup saw his mate was still bitter from the failed flight earlier. Their greatest freedom, their power to soar above and away from everything was taken with one regrown fin. He sighed and picked up the mechanical fin. But it was more than that, Toothless felt he had let down his mate. Failing to provide for his love would bring his mood down and make him prone to drastic measures. He focused his gaze on the lowering sun as he walked, trying to quell the growing anxiety and worry over such a realisation.

* * *

><p>They were moving again. I had to catch myself whilst distracted by a bird nest. The mother had returned to her newly hatched chicks for feeding, regurgitating Odin-knows-what into their waiting gullets. Deplorable behavior, expected of such small insignificant creatures. But I had seen the large black-scale one do the same for the smaller. With a backwards tip of the head, narrowing eyes and several small convulsions he deposits half eaten cod, mackerel and salmon for- and this was the strange- No, not strange. Strange is too tame a word. The relationship between the two was something that beggared belief. As is typical for daemons, they are twisted forms of two existing species on our mortal plane.<p>

One resembles a Dragon, but is tellingly not so for he exhibits as many human characteristics as dragon. He also is missing a tailfin. This would be a small detail for one not familiar with dragons and the common injuries they sustain, but with a fair amount of knowledge on the matter, I can say that not once have I seen a Dragon downed due to a severed tailfin. Damaged wings are commonplace through general wear and collisions, but a straight cut removing a fin would require a cutting force that anything trying to harm a dragon would not aim at the tailfin, as it is not close to any vital life giving areas of the dragon.

The other has the general form of a human, albeit weaker than most, from the barbaric archipelagos, however his skin is all marked with several scars- covered entirely by the same black scale the larger creature possesses. Two stubs of bone protrude from his back, like incomplete wings.

Obviously the two were meant to either be dragons or humans, and the taint that suffocates the underworld and chokes that volcano has formed these two wretched souls to haunt our world. For what purpose is unclear, but observing these daemons is the only chance we have to gain an insight into our enemy. It is unclear who destroyed the Red Death and therefore unsealed the entrance to Hel itself, but the consequences of such a careless act are now let loose upon our world. There are not many of us left, but we will cleanse this world, remove the taint and restore all to order.

* * *

><p>Stopping for the night was never so easy. I want to make things right for us, give him wings and start things over right. I tried. I tried so hard for you, my love. I keep you under my wing, my small, fragile reason to live. I want to keep going. I can't rest until we're airborne once more. It's how we're supposed to live. Not like this. I can't live like this. I'm broken, and I've broken you for all I've lost.<p>

I fell into a restless nightmare. In front of me is all I care for. A beautiful creation of skin and bones. Auburn hair falling into soft green eyes. Blackened scars and pale fingers.

Everything.

I stand before him, some creature. I speak in emotionless tones.

:I am just a worthless liar. I am just an imbecile. I will only complicate you. Trust in me and fall as well.

I will find a center in you. I will chew it up and leave.

I will work to elevate you.

Just enough to bring you down:.

* * *

><p>Hiccup woke up with a start, feeling a wetness on his cheeks. Tears streaming down his face. He beat at the wing encompassing him. "You stupid dragon! Look at you, a creature of such power and intelligence, ripping yourself apart!"<p>

:Don't shout, Hiccup:

:You can't think this way. We'll get you flying again. You have never let me down. You do nothing but impress me:.

He gave Hiccup a lick across the face, salty tears leaving a bitter taste.

:Don't cry for me Hiccup. You share my dreams, but you can never fully understand the way Dragons think. Our pride fuels our emotions and desires. I can't but help feel I let you down. It's in my nature:.

Hiccup tried to understand. It was hard to deal with Toothless sometimes, as sweet as the dragon could be. It seemed they came at odds for loving each over.

The dragon seemed lost in thought.

:So when weakness turns my ego up… Dig me up from under what is covering the better part of me:.

:You're still talking like you're in a dream:

: Don't lose any sleep tonight, I'm sure everything will end up alright:

And Hiccup felt sleep overcome him, a wing of midnight black calling him to rest. Or perhaps he was dreaming the whole time. Maybe the last few years were nothing but a dream and there was no Toothless, or Red Death, and maybe he was just a failure living on a small, cold island.

But then why did he feel so warm?


	2. Complication

I'm in constant danger of tripping over the non-existent back story to this mess. I'm imagine it being somewhat similar to CotN, Hiccup quickly forming a bond with Toothless, then changing to a kind of backwards Hitchups, with the dragons defeating Red Death, and then Toothless and Hiccup striking out on their own. Anyway, tell me what you think.

I'm rereading CotN right now, maybe I can get some inspiration to fine tune some details in my head.

* * *

><p>Perhaps I got a bit carried away in my last log. I know that it is my duty to record the characteristics and habits of my enemy, but such superfluous droning on as I wrote last week is unprofessional none the less. From here on out I will only record important facts that will aid in our cause once I bring back one of these filthy daemons.<p>

The larger black scale has regrown his tailfin. If there were any doubts remaining over the twisted fabric of this creature let this put them to rest. A full study into this unnatural healing process may gain us useful insight into our enemy.

The two seem to carry nothing with them nothing but a strange mechanical device, very similar to the "dragon"s' tailfin in design. Putting two and two together, it seems the creatures made up for defects in their bodies through use of such warped inventions, another reminder that these servants of Hel have been loose far too long.

The smaller one sustained a large gash last week. It has now healed and is completely covered in scale similar to the other lines of scale on his body. I had thought this was merely a defect of his creation but it seems the underworld gives its beings powers completely unknown to us. I must be alert for unknown danger. The element of surprise may not be enough if their power outweighs mine. Under insurmountable odds I must remember my training and retreat.

I will continue following. Sooner or later an opportunity will show itself. I hold no false hope of capturing the larger creature, although the smaller one is especially quick and nimble. Both show weakness in the strange relationship they share, caring more for each other than their surroundings. I hope to return within a week.

* * *

><p>:Hiccup, you know what we have to do:<p>

:I'm not going to put a sword through you! Besides, how do you know I can even cut through that much scale? Surely there's another way:.

:There isn't. I can never fly with scale covering one of my fins. Either you cut it off or you build another bola-launcher and shoot me out of the sky in the exact way you did before:.

Hiccup was walking with an ugly scowl on his face. They had been over this a hundred times so why couldn't that stupid dragon realize when he's wrong?

There was a village ahead, a place to grab a drink from the local well and observe small cultural differences as they traveled. Hiccup placed them to still be in Rusland, although he had not seen a map in weeks, and few chart this far from Rome. A great expanse of land sparsely populated land was perfect for flying, with a climate similar to Berk and people not all that different. Although dragons were a rare sight this far out, more and more were making their home in distant lands now they were free of enslavement.

The village looked to be shut up for the night as was expected, but rounding the corner of a building Hiccup bumped into a hooded man. The figure cast a grimace at the young teen. Hiccup jumped back, losing his balance and knocking into Toothless' nose. The Dragon gave a grunt before seeing the human. He gave a growl and cast Hiccup behind his wing.

:Forgive me friends, I did not mean to alarm you:. Toothless heard the voice, but could not see any Night Fury around. :We were about to return home. Perhaps you two would care to join us. There is nothing of interest in this human town:.

Hiccup had turned to the woods and was scanning for any Fury he could see. The situation had turned **very** strange _**very**_ quickly. The man could be a villager catching some fresh air, but why was he not shouting Russian curses at Hiccup right now? Turning back to the man, he saw he was only regarding himself and Toothless with curious eyes. Most villagers would raise an alarm and bring the entire village to arms against a dragon, so why was this one so placid? What's more, he could now see two other hooded figures at the far end of the village, rooting through blacksmiths equipment.

:Perhaps you have not heard. The master has called for volunteers for a new task. You know he rewards those who serve him well:

Toothless decided to play along in the hopes of getting the Fury to show itself. :Of course, the master! If that is the case, we will gladly tag along:.

:Very good:, came the voice :It's a long trip, but we have suitable transport. Follow me:. The man had jerked his head in the direction of the other two and was making his way to them.

Hiccup shared a confused expression with his dragon as they watched the man walk to the others. They _should _be getting out of here. If those humans were to raise an alarm both dragon and human would surely be dead meat within minutes. Toothless was a good runner, and Hiccup could get enough grip to stay on his back fine for awhile, but no dragon is built for long distance running, and greater numbers would always overpower fire and claws.

The man still had his back turned. Hiccup grabbed his mate by the wing and rushed him around the corner he came from. "I don't like this one bit. Let's just get out of here" he whispered. The night fury gave a small nod. Hiccup climbed onto his back and they made their way back into the brush with light footsteps. "Aaaah!" A pained yell. :I stood on something:. Toothless raised his paw to find blood dripping off his claws. There was something attempting to run away from them. A human, dressed in the strangest garb the pair had ever seen. "Filthy daemons!" She was limping, blood running quickly from her leg. Hiccup could see the life draining from her. :We can save her, Tooth! I saw a healer in the town over. Quickly, before those hooded men return:.

The night fury felt the human had nothing but evil intentions towards them, but it posed no threat. With a few paces he had closed the distance and stopped to let his mate down. "Hey, stop. You're not going to get far in that state. Let us help you" Hiccup tried to reason with the stranger.

"Shut up daemon! You can't work your tricks on me!"

Everything had gone to hel in a matter of minutes. Toothless nervously checked behind while Hiccup struggled with the clearly insane man. He would have to carry two humans an indeterminate distance whilst pursued by vague yet menacing hooded figures. And he didn't get anything to drink. And his nose hurt.

:Come on, the whole town could be awake by now!:

:Then blast them with fire! She's hurt, Toothless. If she loses any more blood she could die. I can lift her onto your back, just lay down low and still:.

He awkwardly maneuvered the young woman onto the dragons back, then gave the all clear. The forest was mostly pine with a soft bed of brown needles underfoot. Not the worst terrain to navigate, but it was possible to lose direction nonetheless.

* * *

><p>After what felt like hours they came to another town, this one slightly larger than the last. Exhausted, Toothless collapsed into a heap on the edge of the forest. Hiccup dragged the woman off, seeing she had regained some consciousness. She was smart enough to stop struggling, and supporting her with a shoulder, they made their way into town. The pair gathered a lot of attention very quickly, a boy with blackened scars across his face and a brawny woman, both wearing clothing not seen around these parts.<p>

Hiccup spotted the healer quickly, a wizened old woman with a face lined with wrinkles. Relief overcome him as she hobbled her way over to them, a frail arm working her cane across the ground.

There were so many questions coming from the residents of the town, none understood by Hiccup. Harsh russian language battered his ears as he tried to concentrate on keeping the woman upright. The healer said nothing, but directed them into what must be her house. The sun was rising and Hiccup felt his nocturnal instincts urge him to sleep, but he stayed in the house as the healer tended to the woman's leg. He felt responsible for her well being, even if the circumstances of their meeting were quite dubious.

* * *

><p>Hours passed and the healer went about her daily business in the town, obviously either trusting Hiccup not to steal or the other villagers to catch him stealing. Hiccup was just glad she had not noticed the strange black marks on his face, or the stubby protrusions on his back. Nothing in the house interested Hiccup though, instead what grabbed his attention was a book poking out of one of the woman's coat pockets. He debated internally for a moment, but decided she kind of <em>owed<em> him for pretty much saving her life. It was a standard, plain leather book with a strange symbol on the front. The book was half full of scrawled, tortuous writing. A simple stick-and-charcoal pencil lay between two pages.

He had flicked past the first page though, the page most likely to give key information on what the book is for.

And as his eyes went over the page, he let out a gasp. _There's no way this could be right!_ His eyes flicked back to the girl- _What is SHE doing here!?_


	3. Beating

Toothless couldn't sleep. He twisted and turned, then stood up and brought a flame to his mouth, then remembered how close the human village was. Battling indecision over whether to remain here, closer to Hiccup, or further into the forest, where he could create a bed of ash in peace, the large reptile let out a growl of frustration. Everything was supposed to be _good_ now. He had Hiccup to himself, finally, with no one else to hold them back. But in the end it was his own body that betrayed him. Let **Hiccup** down. All of these other issues would be nothing if we could just fly. I'm homesick. Every second I spend down here is toxic. Feels like I'm walking in quicksand, holding me down. Turning my world to black. Digging me into a hole and tearing all my insides out. Gods, Hiccup. Hurry up and come back to me, Love. I'll make us right. I'll do it all, I'm your wings, little one. Come back to me.

Toothless snaps out of his thoughts. He swings around at the sound of a twig snapping. A figure runs swiftly through the spaces between trunks, easily distinguishable in the morning sunlight filtering through pine canopy. A hooded figure. Insolent little human playing some kind of crusade or mission. Some human motive for glory or a twisted set of morals. Whatever their intention, Toothless meant to show them who they were messing with.

:Stupid dragon:. That voice again. :You have no idea what you're up against. You don't even know who we are. Who we serve. But the master knows who you are. You're the one who let us free, all of us. And he wants to thank you for killing that stupid guardian:.

:I don't know what you're trying to sputter and I don't care. Give me one reason not to burn you to a crisp: He retorted, scanning the forest for the human.

The man steps into the open, shadows flickering over his hooded face. :Aren't you at least curious how I speak like one of your kind? Look, I have an exciting proposition for you-:

:You should have told me Brother- No, you shouldn't! I wouldn't have believed it, a Night Fury this far down from the tundra, my god!:

The newest voice had come from behind him, and Toothless found, incredulous, that he had been found off guard by a mere human. He spun around to face the second hooded man and spread his wings full length, letting out a piercing screech. Before he could follow through with a burst of flame something hit him, all over his body, all at once. His wings pinned down, head brought down and mouth snapped shut. Restrained, He lifted his head once more and began to bring flame to bear against his aggressors. At this moment the world blurred, objects becoming colours, fading into grey and a loud piercing din thundering through his head.

* * *

><p>Hiccup slammed the book shut in shock. How was she still alive? They were all dead. Everyone from his- <em>home<em>? No, Toothless was his home. Everyone from the place he was _raised_ didn't survive. Did they? He cast his mind back several years.

* * *

><p><em>:That's it, Toothless, that's Berk! There's no dragons attacking. We did it. We killed her and my village can finally live in peace alongside our kind:<em>

_The island was just a speck in the distance, but growing closer with every wingbeat. Hiccup could feel his mate wanting to glide and take his time, but he drove him on. Finally, a resolution to all this chaos._

_:Don't expect them to let go of their traditions so quickly, Hiccup. They have always killed dragons and they will always perceive us as a threat. They might even turn some dragons against them in their violence:._

_:Well aren't you the optimistic one today! Land us a bit out then, Love. In wouldn't want to draw anyone to see such a pessimistic creature on a lovely day such as this:._

_:What are you going to say to your father? What if he sees I've claimed you?:_

_Hiccup sidelined the question and instead focused on their destination._

_The island was recognizable now, soaring grey cliffs rising above troubled waters. The sea around Berk never seemed completely calm, even on a crystal clear sun stricken day the light speckled waters would churn and writhe endlessly. Columns of fir, spruce and pine clung to the cliffs, some on a precarious lean, overlooking soaring drops that would kill most creatures to fall such a height. A few towers of stone capped with foliage rose not too far from the island, like much smaller versions of the main island they stood unbroken against the waves. Man-made structures were evident as the pair banked towards the side of the island on which the village stood. At first the docks came into view, a few boardwalks were missing and singed, the climb from sea to clifftop would be difficult if not impossible with this amount of damage. It was typical at times to see the village blackened and broken, but the amount of structure missing from the village right now the pair had never before witnessed. _

_Their original plan was quickly forgotten as they came in for a heavy landing, paws thundering into hard ground in the center of the village. The place was deadly silent. Usually a raucous thundering of bellowing voices, clattering steel and good humored insults was devoid of any sound but the distant chirping of birds. A horrible sinking feeling overcame Hiccup, his mind knowing, but heart disbelieving. He seemed to dismount his mate in slow motion, each motion heavy and overbearing. He had started walking before he saw what he had been refusing to see until now. The place was a graveyard. Under the rubble that now encompassed half the town lay a hundred bodies of fallen Vikings. Most were barely skeletons anymore, their bodies eaten by creatures and the elements. How long ago did this village fall? The place he was raised so long ago reduced to ashes and bones. Trying to quell the rising bile in his throat and dizzying vertigo overcoming him, he lurched towards the hill on which his childhood home stood. Toothless brought his head under the boys arm in support. They climbed the hill slowly, as charred planks and countless dead bodies still clutching weapons threatened to trip them. The chiefs house was gone completely, the only remains being scattered planks across the ground and a pile of stones that was once the hearth. There were no bodies here, of course. Stoick The Vast would not have died defending his home, Hiccup knew. He took a moment to look over what was his house before casting his eyes to the mead hall where the majority of carnage lay. His father lay at the door to the hall, a pained expression on what was left of his face. Hiccup swallowed. :I could never be what he wanted, but at least I can give him an honorable death:._

* * *

><p><em>He pushed the raft out, a loose collection of logs tied with what rope could be found in the wreckage. It bobbed and weaved on the waves, but was ultimately stable and continued slowly out from the island carrying the former chief of Berk through the sea. Hiccup tried to think of a final sendoff. "I was never going to be all you wanted, and our village was never going to be enough for me. I wish I could have said goodbye, Dad. I wish we could have understood each other, at least." He laid his hand on the top of Toothless' head and the dragon let a ball of flame to fly over the waves, hitting the raft and quickly spreading flame over the entire vessel. <em>

"_Feast in Valhalla, Stoick The Vast."_


	4. Dissidence

He looked at the woman sleeping in the bed at his side. Shoulder length black hair, weathered face and a peaceful expression on her face as she snoozed. This wasn't the Astrid he knew. It was just a coincidence. One hel of a coincidence, but it happens. It's a massive world, and even if she had got out of Berk in time there was no way she could have made it this far on her own. Hiccup stood and took note of the situation. How long had he been sitting here? Half a day? A look out the only window of the cottage told him noon. When was the last time he ate? There was a plate of food the healer had brought in earlier sitting on the bedside table that seemed more and more inviting, but whether it was intended for himself or 'Astrid' he was unsure.

Finally, he cast his mind to Toothless, who must be waiting for him close by. The dragon was more than likely still stewing over things he couldn't help. He yawned, rubbed his eyes and felt the emptiness in his stomach. He always got caught up in the detail. He could leave right now with his mate, grab a bite to eat and catch some sleep. Yes, whatever Astrid was doing here and motives she had against 'Daemons' was none of his concern. She could rest up here and then return to whatever little band of witch hunters she belonged to.

Stepping out the door, Hiccup shielded his eyes from a hard sun. He hadn't been exposed to sunlight in waking hours much in the last years, although they stayed up more and more often as Toothless' fin regrew. The pain of the accelerated healing process made it hard to sleep, and it was hard to rest whilst grounded.

He was just getting over the harsh sunlight when the unmistakable painfully load cry of his mate from the forest. Hiccup took off at full sprint, lithe muscles fueled by a sudden surge of desperation and fear.

Toothless would never draw such attention to himself anywhere near other creatures. The whole village had readied themselves for combat, Hiccup noticed with a backwards glance. The screech of a Night Fury had most likely never been heard around these parts before, but any creature would be stupid not to recognize the power contained in such a noise.

He caught something else out of the corner of his eye. Astrid. Of course she had been woken by the deafening noise. Never mind, all that matters is getting to Toothless.

Almost at the edge of the forest, Hiccup could make out two figures surrounding his dragon. The difference in light under the tree canopy made it hard to pick out detail as he ran, but he made out a net falling from above, then another figure falling soon after it, using it's velocity to drive an elbow into the top of his mate's head. As soon as Hiccup cried out he was blinded by light. Pure grey stung his eyes and he wrenched his head to the side, stopping dead in his tracks. The grey light disappeared as quickly as it came, and Hiccup wrenched his vision back to the forest floor to see nothing but disturbed pine needles and scuffed dirt where the assault had taken place.

The girl came to a stop beside him and regarded Hiccup with wary eyes. The two stood face to face for a tense moment, bathed in outcry from the village populous. The event would probably be remembered for generations as an act of witchcraft by the village. "I thought they had got you. You have to forgive me-" she was cut short by a forceful tug on her coat, Hiccup dragging her a few feet before she found her footing and joined him in a run. "You don't understand, they turn humans into their own kind! I thought they had turned you into a daemon Hiccup!"

They both came to a dead stop under the shade of the canopy. Hiccup opened his mouth, shocked. Distracted by heavy footsteps behind him he ducked and pivoted in a leftward sweep to narrowly avoid an axeblade. Carrying the momentum, he brought his body around to land a fist square on the assaulting Russians' face. As soon as the heavyset man dropped to the ground Hiccup was once more regarding the familiar stranger watching him with a piercing stare.

"They think you're a spell caster. I'm getting out of here before the whole lot come down on us."

Hiccup grabbed her shoulder before she could run and spun her back around to face him.

"I want answers. And then we're leaving before any more of them try to play hero."

Seeing the crowd still gawking gave Astrid the chance she needed to release the emotions built up over the last weeks. She shoved Hiccup away with a grunt and let the words spill out. "Don't try and act like the dominant one here. I've seen the way that dragon controls you. You're nothing but a slave. A slave, a traitor, and a disappointment. Why did you run away Hiccup? To get put under the control of a mere beast? I must give it credit though; I never knew black scales could take a mind to this extent. What does it want you for? A cock warmer, from what I've seen."

Hiccup did nothing to restrain the snarl escaping his lips. The growing hunger and sleep deprivation left him no patience for the characteristic ignorance he tried to leave behind on Berk so long ago. He barely resisted kicking her in her wounded leg.

"You're just how I left you. A blind little girl, stabbing at everything she doesn't understand."

"I could have killed you. I still can" Astrid retorted, moving her hand over the pocket where her dagger lay hidden. She had lost yet another axe in the scuffle last night, but she knew the blade on the dagger to be deadlier after she had sharpened it so many times while watching the two of _them_.

"And I could have left you to die."

"I've suffered worse than a cut in the leg. Your company is much more unbearable."

"But you're still here, because you've come to the same conclusion as me. I want the Dragon, and you want the daemons. We stand a much better chance working together."

Astrid run the idea over in her mind. She had been thinking about taking the daemons on herself, but she knew them to be powerful in ways few completely understood, and she had only ever beaten them in a one on one fight.

Hiccup was a_ lot _more capable than she had last seen him, he seemed to have put on some muscle and was inhumanly limber. As much as she didn't want to admit it, he would be an asset to the order. A nimble, fleet fighter is always highly valued.

She was also still limping slightly. The wound didn't hurt much, but running and fighting wouldn't do it any favours. She would need someone to do those for her, but she wasn't about to say so out loud.

"More like you wouldn't have any idea where to start looking. The daemons have used a power we have observed a few times before to move far in an instant. Seems they don't do it often for the amount of attention it attracts. That unnatural grey light is a side effect, we think."

"Who is this 'we'?"

"The Order. But before I tell you about them I need to know what that line of scales is running across your face, and the weird stubs on your back. And that thing you keep lugging around, the harness and fake tailfin."

"Then we'll leave it till later, Astrid! Let's just track down the daemons." Hiccup ran a hand through his hair. He hadn't had to deal with people for a long time, and the grating exchange had left his throat dry. He only spoke through his mind to Toothless nowadays, as few Nightfuries seemed to want the company of some weirdo riding a crippled dragon.

Hiccup took a glance back at the village. The artificial fin, of course! He had left in in the healers cottage. He took off at a jog back to the village, noting the villagers regarding him with wary eyes, and ignoring Astrid's calls of frustration. "I'll be back in a second", he called over his shoulder. They were scared of him, he realised. He had put down one of the biggest members of the village with one blow. And now he and Astrid had been arguing as though nothing had happened. Two young adults were no match for a village of vengeful Russians, but fear of the unknown had paralyzed the crowd. There was no way he could get through the crowd unscathed, but he needed the harness. With a grunt, he pushed from the ground and leapt to the nearest branch. With deft feet Hiccup flitted from tree to tree, always finding purchase and maintaining momentum to carry his body through the maze of vegetation.

* * *

><p>Astrid scuffed her boots in the ground, watching the village population trying to track Hiccup as he somehow made his way through treetops at a running pace. The man was even stranger than he was as a child. He was still an outsider, but now he was a capable one. Astrid found herself thinking once again of Hiccup as a possible asset for her group. There was an issue though, that she had lied in her journal. She had acted as though she didn't know Hiccup at all. And perhaps that was true in a sense, but anything but the complete truth would mean an instant banishment from the Order.<p>

Perhaps she could pass the two off as Daemons that escaped her grasp, but Hiccup is such a distinctive man they would instantly match him to the description in her book. Astrid cursed herself for being so careless, she never was much of a writer. She loved fighting, doing, moving. Creating script was never her strongpoint, and she often found herself rambling in her journal, broadcasting her thoughts to a book when there was no one else to speak her mind to. The Maestars didn't mind, flipping through her journal whenever she returned to the Gates with bored stares. So long as the journal was truthful and "_comprehensive on the task at hand_" it didn't matter.

There were rewards given out to those who brought new recruits, Astrid knew, especially recruits with promise. There was no denying Hiccup's talent. But there was something else about him, he was always unruly but now he seemed to act so alike to the dragon that had taken him. Perhaps his mind was broken for good, and he would never make it in any civilized establishment anymore. Not that he ever would have, really. Hiccup as Chief of Berk would have never happened; he would have been bottom of the pile in their village, had it survived.

Thinking of Berk steadied her thoughts to the objective of catching the Daemons, and she found herself looking around for any sign of Hiccup. She now accepted the need for his help, the chance to think giving the situation some clarity.

Hiccup emerged from the trees, with an old woman in tow, draped in old rags with a wizened face and stringy white hair. The healer.

And she had Astrid's axe!


	5. Ally

**AN:I really wanted to stay away from long expositions when I started this, but hopefully this isn't too fluffed out. I tried to keep it as concise as possible while still keeping the detail I wanted in. Anyways, If anyone wants to pitch in on whether my writing is getting better or worse please do.**

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><p>"Who are you?"<p>

It was the healer! Standing right there at her back door, blocking his path. Hiccup needed to get inside, so he had to cooperate, but every moment he delayed going after Toothless felt like an eternity.

The woman was watching him patiently, her face held simple curiosity, and perhaps a trace of doubt. She didn't look particularly Nordic, but she had spoken it fluently.

Hiccup balked at answering the question, but decided for a completely honest approach, seeing no reason to do otherwise.

"I am Hiccup of Berk. I – I owe you my thanks for saving my … friend. She played it down, but she lost a lot of blood back there. I feel she could have bled out without proper treatment."

The old woman nodded, "I am Greisha. Your friend took a real puncture to her leg. If a main artery had been severed it could have been a lot worse."

Hiccup felt guilty to hear it, but Astrid _was_ following them with malicious intent, and he was still seething over her comments earlier, treating his bond with Toothless like a joke. He was starting to get comfortable with this strange encounter, but felt the need to run after his mate growing with each passing second. "I'm sorry I can't properly thank you, but I have to be going. I am a traveler and it is not in my nature to stay in one place for long."

The woman tilted her head slightly. "And how did you come to travel so far? Berk is such a long way, even a sprightly young man such as you would have trouble making this far I'm sure. Especially with that leather contraption you're lugging around."

Hiccup swallowed, once again feeling his parched throat. _Well, all or nothing I guess._ "I ride a Nightfury. I was never wanted in my home village, so I took my leave of the place with Toothless; I built him the leather harness and tailfin I carry." He was looking at the ground, and muttering a bit, but it was a sweet release to tell someone else his story. "He gave me all I needed, but never got from my people. Acceptance, loyalty, freedom, security…_love_. We flew north and with other Nightfuries we destroyed the beast that was threatening dragon and human kind, the Red Death. Then we flew as far as we could and found ourselves here."

Greisha's face had changed at the mention of Red Death. "This beast, did it inhabit a large volcano by any chance?"

"Yes Greisha, but why do you ask?"

"Hiccup, I see a lot of potential in you. You have overcome a lot, yes? Tell me precisely how you came to be with your dragon."

"I shot him out of the sky, destroying one of his tailfins in the process. I found him in the woods and raised my dagger to kill him, hoping to please my father and my village. Then I looked into his eyes and found I couldn't do it. I saw what no one else did. I cut him free."

Greisha smiled, warmth lighting her wrinkled face.

"Nearly all these days have hate for dragons. But I come from a time when it was not so."

Hiccup gave a nod, eager for her to continue.

"Hiccup, I created Red Death. I founded the Order a century ago to put a stop to the evil in the world, as the earth was plagued by Daemons from below. Our goal was simple, to restore order and drive all daemons from our world. Many had tried to combat the daemons, but every time a band of warriors marched into their volcano the Daemons would overwhelm them with superior numbers, and every time the entrance was sealed with boulders the beasts would find another way out, or smash the boulders apart. I and a band of loyalists hatched a plan to stop the tyranny of the underworld. We had learnt a lot of the daemons, all of their tricks. We knew that nothing but sheer overwhelming force would stop them. We finally decided on a course of action to seal them below forever. "

"You made a dragon to stop them. You put a dragon between us and them."

"Yes, you are very clever Hiccup. We raised a dragon bred to inhabit a nest between two worlds, feeding it until it's body was large enough, and it's flame fearsome enough, to stop even daemons from challenging her.

What we didn't expect was her mind to grow too. As we fed her, she gained an insatiable lust for power, dominance and greed. She would band other dragons around her to be her slaves, bringing her food and fulfilling her every desire. At first it was a trifling matter, but we soon found her to be uncooperative and violent. Her acts of cruelty increased steadily until she was ordering hordes of her followers to attack the villages close to her nest in order to sate her taste for violence and unstoppable hunger. It was rare before then for a dragon to kill a human, the two species regarding each other as intelligent beings.

All of a sudden there was an all-out war between the two. The vikings that inhabited the islands didn't stand a chance at finding the nest however, let alone raiding it. It was then I spoke out, telling my three sons to gather an army to take on the beast before it grew any larger. They defied me, naming themselves the new Maestars of the Order, and cast me out . The Order was my home, and with nowhere to go I traveled for years until I settled here and became healer for this village."

"How could your own sons cast you out like that?"

"The same way a dragon could eat its own kind and kill hundreds of humans. Greed. They couldn't stand an old woman to rule over many when fit warriors such as themselves could do it. They tried to place me in a nearby village, like some stray dog needing a home. My whole life was in the Order, and it was ripped away from me by my own. I heard later two of my sons were dead, slain at the hands of my eldest. He took full control of the order and installed a rank of Maestars below him. I don't know for what purpose the Order stands for anymore, but the code still remains the same, if you're friend's book is to be believed."

Hiccup frowned in concentration. "Maybe we can still turn him around. Everyone has the potential to do well, even if their minds are overtaken by desire. The Order could be reshaped into its old self."

The elderly woman sighed, "No, the Order's stone towers are so secure no one but those that reside there can ever hope to gain access."

Hiccup gave a half-cocked grin and said with a sudden burst of hopeful courage, "Do they have windows?"

"Ah! Yes, flight. You_ can_ avenge me, Hiccup! - I mean, if you want to."

"Yes. I would be honoured, Greisha."

"But you need your wings, Hiccup! Come, we have much to do. Tell me what happened to your dragon on the way."

She was already hobbling off with an axe in hand, carry bag over her shoulder. Not the fastest human Hiccup had ever seen but not slow for someone her age. He grabbed the harness and tailfin from inside the door and followed after her, hope brewing inside.


End file.
